BELÉM, Brazil — As global leaders convene at the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) in Belém, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has emerged as a key driving force behind Africa’s climate and development agenda, reinforcing the continent’s call for equity, finance justice and an orderly, just energy transition.
African countries are using COP30 as a critical platform to demand more ambitious 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), tripling of adaptation finance, concrete roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels, halting deforestation, and stronger commitments on loss and damage and climate equity. At the centre of this push is UNECA, which is playing a dual role, as both a strategic partner in the Africa Pavilion and a technical backbone for the African Group of Negotiators (AGN).
The Africa Pavilion, jointly organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB), African Union Commission (AUC), UNECA, AUDA-NEPAD and Afreximbank under the ClimDev-Africa partnership, has served as the continent’s nerve centre in the COP30 Blue Zone. The Pavilion has hosted more than 30 thematic sessions over two weeks, covering climate finance, carbon markets, adaptation, blue economy, NDC implementation, multilateral financing, ecological restoration and the critical intersection of climate, peace and security.
A key highlight was Africa Day, where UNECA joined continental institutions to deliver a united message: Africa’s climate and development ambitions must converge, and the global financial architecture must be reformed to provide predictable, accessible and largely concessional finance for African nations.
UNECA led and co-led several high-impact engagements, including the presentation of the Climate Action Window of the African Development Fund — a financing mechanism targeting gaps in adaptation, mitigation and technical assistance. It also supported the launch of the Adaptation Finance Window for Africa (AFWA), which aims to mobilise private capital for resilience-building through blended finance, backed by catalytic funding and technical expertise.
In addition, UNECA co-organised a session on “Towards a Just Transition: Financing Africa’s Move from Coal to Sustainable Energy Sources”, exploring equitable energy alternatives, including nuclear energy and the strategic use of carbon credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Through analytical evidence, UNECA also highlighted the opportunity cost of African public spending on climate change, reframing the continent’s fiscal sacrifices as a climate justice issue that must influence outcomes on finance, loss and damage, and debt relief.
Beyond event coordination, the Africa Pavilion functioned as a political and technical hub. UNECA facilitated bilateral meetings, strategic consultations and daily briefings with ministers, negotiators, development partners and civil society, ensuring that Africa’s messaging remained coherent and united.
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In its support to the African Group of Negotiators, UNECA provided strategic analysis on critical negotiating tracks, including public climate finance under Article 9.1, the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), the Global Goal on Adaptation, a roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels, carbon markets, nature and deforestation, and loss and damage mechanisms. This technical backing has helped African negotiators respond to emerging challenges and push for outcomes that reflect the continent’s realities.
By combining technical expertise, political convening and evidence-based advocacy, UNECA has helped consolidate Africa’s position at COP30, ensuring that the continent’s demands for fairness, equity and sustainable development are not only heard, but firmly embedded in ongoing global climate negotiations.
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